Lend me your design eye!

Lately I have been tinkering with the idea of re-doing or vamping up some rooms in our house.
When we first bought the house, we painted the living room, kitchen, and bedroom CRAZY colors! They were bright blue, bright yellow, and bright red. Since then, we have toned all of these rooms down.

I am quite happy with my kitchen. All I need to find is a table cloth or sew some place mats. Eventually we want to re-do the cabinets, counters, and floors...eventually! My living room is okay. It could definitely use some work but I am just not quite sure what to do! I just keep sewing random throw pillows and sticking with that!

The room I am focusing on now is my bedroom. Here it is in all its glory-sorry the pic isn't so great!



It never really came together from the beginning and I am just kind of over it. I want to create a more peaceful resting place-and one that I will want to keep clean!

I am thinking about keeping the color theme for now: neutrals, reds, oranges (it's hard to see all of the accessories in this pic). I just have to get rid of that wall color. I figured if I go more neutral with the walls, then I can always change the accessories in case I tire of the accent colors. Here are some pictures of what I am thinking about doing for colors:

1.

2.

I am leaning more towards number one because it feels more light and fresh to me. Our bedroom does not have as much natural light as number two so I am afraid it will be too dark. James said the first has a little too much grey in it. Either way, I was thinking a medium shade of brown/taupe.

We will also be putting a lot more art on the walls-in the form of photos of course! My hubby often comes in handy :) I am hoping to get rid of some of the furniture since we have so many different grains of wood in there!

This will sound silly, but I go back and forth about decorating my house because: 1. It is temporary and I don't want to be materialistic or discontent. 2. It's just so easy to get used to seeing what's around you. To address these, I will say that finishing my kitchen and craft room has made me feel good about our home. Also, I know I will do it on a budget and make many of the accessories. I think it is worth it since I am here every day!

What do you think? Do you have any advice you can offer? Also, does paint ever go on sale?! Ha!

Cracking Up on April Fools

Being that today is April Fools, a quite hilarious memory comes to mind.

In 2007, James and I played an April fools joke on our friends:
We faked that we got engaged!

We did not call anyone (I wouldn't be able to lie!), but simply changed our facebook statuses and posted pictures online. Now, I understand this is a completely cheesy joke and has been overplayed. Therefore, I was thinking, no big deal!

Oh, but it was! People on facebook were freaking out. I had friends calling me and commenting on all of our pictures, pages, and status updates. I even had old high school friends calling me! Some were freaking out in a good way and others were not.

Most people did not know James and I were together for the first half of our dating relationship (that is another story). Therefore, people thought we had only been dating maybe two months. I would guess that we had well over 100 people convinced that we were engaged.

The reason everyone was so convinced is actually really funny! They all said "It's because you had a picture with his mom!" Here is that picture and a few others:

I am glad that Momma Riley was awesome enough to get in on the joke with us. Eventually everything settled and we got a few lectures from our friends!

But, guess what?! We got engaged about two months later!

I'll have to tell that story another time. For now, I am cracking up laughing remembering the chaos our April Fools joke caused. What is the best joke you have played or someone played on you?

For all the things I put you through...

My field placement this year is at Big Brothers Big Sisters. As I was getting an update from one of the parents, she explained that her daughter (the Little) is no longer so little. As the parent explained, her pre-teen hormones have caught up and she is a little crazy, moody, having a hard time adjusting. Not only that, but she is starting to have sleepovers and spending time with her friends on the weekends.

This made me feel anxious! One day I will be a parent and have to deal with this moodiness- not to mention all of the other stages leading up to this (fighting to sleep through the night, potty training, first day of school, etc). I feel like this is a lot of emotions to endure: exhaustion from sleepless nights, anxiety of if you have done enough as a parent, and the joy and sadness of watching your child grow up. I would say I just got a good dose of birth control!

This makes me think "my poor mama"! Thank you mom, for putting up with my moods, because we know I had plenty of them. And for enduring that one boyfriend we know everyone disliked. Thanks for staying up with me all night when I had an earache in elementary school and ruptured my ear drum in high school. The comfort of your presence and fingers brushing through my hair made the pain that much more bearable.

I imagine that is how parents feel. You might go through exhaustion, disappointment, and pain but it is the sweet memories that make it worth it. Memories that we both will hold in our hearts of each other. I am sorry for all the things I put you through, but I know it has helped us grow closer today. I hope you know how much I love and appreciate you.

I am sure you will have a good laugh when I have a moody teenager one day.
Here are a few pictures of my sweet mama:

My Latest Obsession

EUROPE!
That's right, I just came right out there with it.
Ever since I watched the movie "Letters to Juliet" (with my husband and Philip-ha!)-
I cannot get Europe off my mind.
So, I am determined that we are going to Europe in May 2012. This will be our big hoo-rah!
It is significant because I will have finished graduated school and received my Masters in Social Work-yay! Also, this is our "before we have a baby" trip.
The downside is that Europe is expensive! So I am trying to save, save, save! It doesn't help when graduate school is even more expensive, but that is another story!

I know movies glamorize everything, but Europe is absolutely amazing.
I can't wait to experience the history, taste the amazing food, and capture a million images.
Mostly, I love making sweet memories with my hubby.


Thanks to one of my lovely gal pals, Laura Euler, I have found another obsession:
SHABBY APPLE
Basically they make amazing dresses and have a new line called Roamin Holiday.
How suitable would it be if I had one of these dresses to wear on my trip there?!
I entered a contest to win this dress:

But it is one of many beautiful dresses that they have.
Hint hint, amazing husband of mine!
Wait...focus...must save for EUROPE!!

Random Musings

I have a lot of friends who post blogs about random musings so I figured I would join in!

1. Odd Sense-ability

The other day, I smelled diesel fuel coming from an old nasty truck and guess what I immediately thought of? "Oooh, ice cream truck!" That is a horrible smell to associate with a sweet childhood memory. I often associate scents in an odd manner.

2. Potato Backs

This is what I call the french fries from Chick-fil-A that are squishy and rounded instead of waffle-like and crispy. My gal pal, Lane-o calls them Butt Fries-what about you? No matter the name, I think they are gross!

3. Shout Out

This might embarrass my husband, but I will share it anyways: James paints my toes for me. I am absolutely horrible at it and he is an artist after all! He recently told me to stop buying cheap nail polish! Since then, I have been obsessed with OPI! Today I am wearing a dark shimmery green! Thanks babe!

4. Babies Everywhere!

I have a million friends who are pregnant right now! This makes me happy because I can play with all of their babies and learn all of their mommy secrets. This also means we will be busy taking a lot of pictures during this season-yay!

5. Speaking of Babies...

No, I am not prego, or trying! Everytime I tell someone that I don't want to get an epidural (In the future when I get round) they think I am crazy! I believe I am strong enough. My doc told me childbirth will be a breeze compared to my past injuries! See this pic? No gracias!

6. Graduate School Makes Me Think

Such as the other day in class, the teacher said something funny and everyone responded by laughing. You are probably thinking, duh! It made me wonder where laughing comes from. Is it a conditioned response (learned) or is it a natural biological reaction? Deep.

7. Working on Working Out

I have been wanting to get toned for a while now. I will admit that I bought a skirt bottom last year to disguise my bottom! Thankfully, I have an honest gal pal (Courtney) who pointed out that A. I am 23 and B. I am not a mom yet. Therefore, a skirt bottom is silly unless it is just really stinking cute. I will share my health plan with you in my next post.

There are some of my random musings for the day. Now I am off to help James mow the lawn and hopefully get a bike ride in with my hubby and pups! I am loving this Spring-like weather!

These are a few of my favorite things

The sunny weather put me in the mood for a light-hearted post. Therefore, I decided I would share a random list of of my favorite things. They happen to be things that go on my body!

Hair

Moroccan Oil- It makes my hair so silky smooth and it smells amazing! Next, I am going to try their curl defining mousse.

Chi- I am sure every gal has heard of the Chi. This thing only takes one swipe and boom, my hair is straight! In combination with the Moroccan oil, I have less crazy hair days! Thanks Momma Riley for the Christmas present!

Face

Covergirl Lash Blast Mascara- It makes my lashes look long and full. I have also heard that the purple tube is even better than this. I still have a few more left because Costco had an amazing coupon. I think I got 9 tubes for less than $20.

Philosophy Blush/Bronzer Compact- This has brought summer to my face during the sad, pale winter months. It also is great for sensitive skin!

Purpose Intensive Daily Moisturizer with SPF -My Dermatologist recommended this to me. My skin used to get crazy dry in the winter but, no more! It is light, cheap, and has SPF

Gold Bond Ultimate Healing lotion- This lotion feels so good to me. I happen to like body lotions that are a little thicker because my skin can get quite dry and it is sensitive.

Blistex Daily Conditioning Treatment with SPF 20- I am a chapstick and SPF freak. This is one chapstick that has a good amount of SPF that does not taste disgusting or leave a nasty feeling on your lips. I can often only find this at drugstores.

G.U.M Soft Picks-I know this is a random pick, (pun!), but these things are great! I am not the biggest fan of flossing, but these little guys make it much easier. Also, they come with a little travel case!

Accessories

Madden Girl Snappy Boots- It took me two years to find a pair of boots that I like. TWO years! Then, my lovely puppies decided to turn one of them into a peep-toe boot. I don't think I have ever been as angry as when I found that boot in the back yard (sad, I know). My amazing husband bought me another pair. He has my heart for many reasons. I have found two more pairs of boots since then!

Express Cargo Jacket- This was a recent treat to myself. It was a slight splurge, but I had a coupon. I would say at least 50% of our clothes come from Express because they are one of the only stores that actually fit well and they give out coupons.

Side purse- Also called a crossbody bag, shoulder bag, you get the point! I bought one of these because my chiropractor said I needed a smaller purse. Along with that, I started graduate school and needed less things to hold while making my trek to class! Now, I can do anything while wearing this style of purse and it has especially come in handy while grocery shopping and on photo shoots.

As silly as it seems, each one of these brightens my day in some way! I am sure I could come up with more, but these came to mind! Do you have any products that you recommend?

Now I am off to enjoy the sunshine with my gal pal Crystal and her little guy Peyton! I hope you enjoy this absolutely beautiful weekend.

Blog of Yumness!

This is a blog FULL of YUM! I came across a list of the top 100 restaurants in Charleston (from UrbanSpoon). A few of my gal pals and I took the list, narrowed it down, and added a few more. Sometimes James and I are really bad about doing date nights. This might surprise you considering I posted a long list of dates on a previous blog post (which may need updating!) I decided that it would be a great idea to base our dates around trying out new restaurants (we love to eat!) and exploring Charleston more. We both grew up here and find that it is easy to forget how awesome our hometown is.

Here are a few of the restaurants on the list:

Really Want to Try

Basil Poe’s Tavern Hominy Grill FIG EVO 82 Queen

Fat Hen Coast Cypress Charleston Cafe Sermet’s Corner

Moe’s Crosstown Tavern Cru Café Peninsula Grill Sette Sugar

Fleet Landing Monza Pizza Oak Steakhouse Hank’s Graze

Geene’s Haufbrau Juanita Greenberg’s Mosaic Mercato

Garribaldi’s Bocci’s Bull Street Deli Saffron Caviar & Bananas

Kind of Want to Try

Madra Rua Irish Pub Red Drum Gastropub Muse Carolina’s

Bowen’s Island Restaurant Long Point Grill Fuel Cantina

Old Village Post House Wreck of the Richard and Charlene

Boathouse at Breach Inlet Amen Street Fish & Raw Bar

Charleston Grill Social Restaurant & Wine Bar Triangle Char & Bar

Al Di La Wild Olive Cucina Italiana Tommy Condons Uno Mas

Here are a few of the places I have been fortunate enough to enjoy:

Jestine’s Kitchen Rue de Jean Zia Taqueria Taco Boy Bushido

Gaulart & Maliclet French Café Poogan’s Porch Oriental Garden

Rita’s Seaside Grill Glass Onion Wasabi’s Jacob’s Kitchen Red Orchid

After talking to a few people about this list, they keep telling me more restaurants to add! Have you been to any of the ones I want to try? Do you have any more restaurants to add to the list? This is one adventure that I am oh so excited about! Yum!

Love is in the air!!!

I am very thankful that James and I share an interest in the arts. This comes in all different forms: painting, scrapbooking, sewing, random house projects (such as our pot rack), making jewelry, photography, and more. James is always great about giving his input which helps to add a special touch to every piece.

We both have quite different styles and methods of doing things. I usually have no plan and just let the creative juices flow bound by no rules. James is organized, has a ton of knowledge, and thinks things through really well. We make quite a pair! I have greatly enjoyed the experience of starting a photography company with my hubby which we have had for about two years (wow!). I have learned that it is quite difficult starting a business because photo gear is mega expensive, there are a million photographers in Charleston, and getting your name out there is tough!

But, we have been blessed to work with wonderful people and capture awesome moments. Recently, we had an opportunity to photograph an extremely cute couple, Anthony and Corinne. This was a special photo shoot because there was a secret involved. That secret? Anthony planned to propose to Corinne during the shoot! Here are a few pictures:

Here is one that I shot right before Anthony popped the question. Let me tell you that I am surprised it is in focus because my hands were shaking soooo much!

I have a lot more to learn about photography but I have a really smart, handsome teacher :) If you want to see the rest of this photo shoot and others, go visit the website at http://www.jasriley.com/. They won't be small, fuzzy, and compressed there (don't quite have the settings down for blogspot!).

I am also so so so very excited for one of my best gal pals and her husband- Chelsie and Robbie- because they are having a baby!!! I can't wait to take pictures of her cute little baby bump. Here's a picture we took in November that, in my opinion, completely defines their relationship:

Yay for laughter and love! I hope you have a wonderful Valentine's Day! Remember that every day is worth celebrating and showing love to each other.

Something to consider

Just a forewarning- I am going to get a little nerdy with you on this post, but it wouldn't be the first time!

In one of my social work classes at USC, we discussed being an overconsumer vs. sustainer. The topics were concerned with three areas: housing & transportation, food & agriculture, and materials. In a nutshell, an overconsumer is someone who contributes to the depletion of resources with these areas. Their contribution is created through having too many resources without helping to replenish them. There can be great effects on our local and national economy, our planet, and satisfaction with our daily lives.

The point?

"We need to get back to the basic and get the things we need and not all the things we don't need." - Margaret Dixon


How can you be a sustainer?

1. Consume locally grown food. There are a lot of CSAs (Community Supported Agriculture) in Charleston: Ambrose Family Farm, Legare Farms, Gruber Farms, and more! Typically, you pay X amount to receive boxes of fresh, locally grown produce weekly for X months. There are also local meat markets and produce markets.
2. Grow your own food. This is another option which takes a little more effort. I started simple last year by growing basil, parsley, and green onions. It was 100% worth it and saved me a lot of money.
3. Use reusable bags. Personally, I forget to take my reusable bags in often. I try to opt for paper so I can use them for my recycling. If you forget, then recycle your used plastic bags at the grocery stores.
4. Recycle. It is really easy to do but easy to make excuses for: "My neighborhood doesn't do pickup", "I always forget" Just do it! There are a lot of local receptacles where you can drop of products if you do not have pickup. Leave a bin at work or school, too! Don't forget to recycle clothes, housewares, and other items as well.
5. Be friendly to your Heating/AC system. Get tips from SCEG (or your local electric company). I do know that it is recommended to set your home at 68 degrees in the winter. If you are cold, bundle up, grab a blanket, and snuggle!
6. Fix stuff that is broken instead of buying new or paying someone else to do it (if possible). We have saved a ton of money by doing things ourselves and greatly enjoyed the projects! It is helpful that I have an extremely handy husband.
7. Buy Made in the USA. It may cost a little more at times, but it is worth it as it helps to increase our economy. A note though is that all products made in other countries do not take away from our economy, only certain companies.
8. Make your house energy efficient. Insulation, good windows, energy efficient lighting, etc.

You know the others: buy reusable water bottles, carpool and bike if possible, pay off debts, etc. In general, try not to buy what you do not need and lower your waste (food, recyclable items). Be a sustainer, go green, support local, take that extra step, and save some money in the meantime!

Photo taken by my hubby @ jasriley.com